Denial - Anger -- Bargaining -- Depression -- Acceptance

In yesterday's NY Times, a paper known for its strong Democratic bent, the writer did an analysis of the Presidency up to and including what I will call the "Corn Belt Tour" in Iowa.  In today's WSJ, Mr. Taranto has embraced the NYT piece, interestingly, and expounded a bit. I found both reads very interesting and yet another dose of "what in the world is going on" head scratching. I share with you the five steps from today's WSJ:

Stage 1, Denial: "Mr. Obama has proposed a series of small-bore measures to reduce the jobless rate, chosen in the hopes that they are so obvious that even House Republicans would consider going along with them. That was a mirage, of course."

 Stage 2, Anger: "Now, on a bus tour in the Midwest, he is bitterly pointing the finger at his opponents for their refusal to consider any new revenues to tackle the deficit and their insistence on deep near-term spending cuts that will only cause more economic pain. His anger is long overdue."

Stage 3, Bargaining: "Faced with a divided Congress and an economy in desperate straits, President Obama tried bargaining with Republicans, he tried adopting some of their ideas and he pleaded with them for reasonable policies to help stave off disaster."

Stage 4, Depression: "For his efforts, he got nothing but a cold shoulder and the country got a credit downgrade. . . . Fearing the real possibility of a default (something that never seemed to concern the Republicans), the president stayed largely mild-mannered through the whole debt-ceiling hostage ordeal."

The Times advises Obama to move to Stage 5, Acceptance

Having watched this "listening tour" which is truly blatant campaigning in reality, I have watched Mr Obama in the Q&A Town Halls, the CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer and much commentary from those on the trail with him.  As I listen against the context of what we the People are seeing and sensing.  What I see is another chapter in how to kick the can down the street and oh, well, "I walk ed into this mess" instead of here is the scope of the mess, here is THE PLAN, this is who will manage this part of THE PLAN and this will be accomplished by this date as indicated IN THE PLAN.  So with all the finger pointing, politicizing, rhetoric and millions more taxpayer dollars for this tour and all this in preparation for a luxurious week's vacation at Martha's Vineyard next week for the Obama family and accompanying army of servants and security, where is THE PLAN. Well, if there is NO PLAN then there cannot be A PLAN my brain says, right?

I just simply continue to be amazed with each passing day that in the midst of the greatest crisis since the British Army landed in America to straighten us out, I see no real backbone, no energy and NO PLAN to fix anything. This "Jobs" Bill is coming we have been assured. NOW we are going to have a whole new governmental officer and department as a Job Czar.  So the lesson for young students trying to view the role of a president is apparently, when in trouble, make a speech and appoint a commission, select a non-elected person to czar the problem and ready for the next vacation.  Seriously, wait, I am serious for that is exactly the nearly three years of this Presidency has displayed to the historians.

Not being one to long for the good old days, I really would wish to see in some way a Reagan, a Kennedy, a Truman, a Roosevelt; you know, those leaders that were faced with national catastrophic consequence, be at the current helm just to watch the process.  I am quite sure it would be handled much differently.  Having said that, I have about decided, as an analogy, that we have a young, articulate president that was a pretty good high school basketball player. He could run, shoot, dribble, pass; you know, the basics.  He performed well with other pretty good high schoolers.  But for whatever reason he finds himself on a losing NBA team and is realizing, I hope, he lacks the level of skills required to stem the tide of defeat at this level, has burned bridges to those that can help him but, oh, still enjoys the extravagant fruits of being in the NBA even while losing.

There comes that point in any situation where one stands up to the headwinds, embraces the reality and makes a clear choice to stand to and stand up to the Goliath's of the world, and they are always there taunting us, making us quake in fear but then you go to the stream, oil your slingshot, carefully select your stones and calmly, quietly and deliberately go out and slay the giant. Mr Obama, PLEASE oil your slingshot, stop whining, get your stones and step out on the field of battle all alone, no Secret Service, no bus tours, no vacations, no commissions nor czars and KILL THE GIANT. WHERE IS THE PLAN, Sir?  Show us "the money" we learned from Mr. Jerry McGuire. Mr. President, we are not feeling the love!